Thermomix Cauliflower and Almond Soup

Well, another cauliflower soup - just for a change. One that uses the Thermomix to firstly grind the almonds to speed up cooking and then cooks the soup and finally blitzs it to a smooth velvety finish.






Cauliflower and Almond Soup

Ingredients:

few saffron threads
1/2 MC (50ml) water
100g almonds
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
500g cauliflower, cut into chunks
1000g stock, chicken or vegetable
freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
100ml cream


Method:

Place saffron threads into the water and keep aside.

Place almonds into TM bowl and grind for 30 seconds on Speed 9. Remove and set aside.

Place onion into TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 5. Add oil and sauté for 4 minutes at 90°C on Speed 1.

Add cauliflower to TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 5.

Add stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper to TM bowl and cook for 15 minutes at 90°C on Speed 1. Add almonds and saffron in water to TM bowl and cook for 10 minutes at 90°C on Speed 2.

Make sure the MC is in place and slowly increase the Speed up to 9 for 30 seconds. Add the cream and blend for 20 seconds on Speed 4.

Transfer to a serving dish and decorate with more cream over the top.

Thermomix Carrot & White Chocolate Custards

Well, following on from the cake, it seemed natural to try a custard cooked in the Varoma.

It has a delicious flavour and wonderful texture with the carrot and white chocolate.



Carrot and White Chocolate Custards


Ingredients:

rind of half an orange
50g sugar
300g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 MC (50ml) orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
100g white chocolate, Melts or broken
roughly into chunks
3 eggs
6 greased dariole moulds
600g water

Method:

Place orange rind and sugar into TM bowl and chop for 30 seconds on Speed 7.

Add carrot to TM bowl and grate for 20 - 30 seconds on Speed 8. The pieces should be smaller than rice grains. Add orange juice and salt and cook for 15 - 20 minutes at 90°C on Speed 1 with the MC in place.

Add chocolate and blend for 10 seconds on Speed 5.

Add eggs and blend for 10 seconds on Speed 4.

Place mixture into greased dariole moulds and position in the Varoma. Place the 600g water into the TM bowl (no need to clean) and set for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Serve with whipped cream, cream mixed with melted white chocolate, ….

Thermomix Carrot and White Chocolate Cake

The idea for this recipe came from a dish that I ate in Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence. It was a carrot and white chocolate sorbet, served as a palate cleanser.

I had seen a recipe for carrots and white chocolate in an American book, by Robert Lambert (1990) and decided to try making a cake with the combination.

It would be great served with white chocolate and cream cheese icing.



Carrot and White Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
300g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
200g white chocolate, Melts or broken
roughly into chunks
100g almonds
100g sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g Self-Raising flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced)

Place carrot in TM bowl and chop for 20 seconds on Speed 7. Remove and place in separate bowl.

Place chocolate in TM bowl and chop for 10 - 20 seconds on Speed 7. Remove and add to bowl with carrots.

Place almonds in TM bowl and chop for 10 - 20 seconds on Speed 7. Remove and add to bowl with carrots and chocolate.

Add sugar to TM bowl and grind for 5 seconds on Speed 9. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds on Speed 5.

Add carrot, chocolate and almond mix and blend for 30 seconds on Speed 5.

Add remaining ingredients (flour, bicarb and salt) and blend for 20 seconds on Speed 6.

Place mixture into greased cake tin and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, testing after 1 hour to see if skewer comes out clean.

Can be iced with white chocolate and cream cheese topping for an extra chocolate hit.

Thermomix ChocBeet Cream

This came from a week of developing recipes with beetroot and chocolate.

It not only looks delicious, tastes good and is full of healthy beetroot (and not so healthy chocolate and cream)

Simple, but yummy.

Thermomix ChocBeet Cream

Ingredients:

400 g beetroot, cut into chunks
(don’t bother peeling,
just wash and remove top and root tip)
50 g orange juice
pinch salt
100 g milk or dark chocolate
200 ml cream (35%)


Method:

Place the beetroot in the TM bowl and chop for 20 seconds on speed 8.

Add orange juice and salt and cook for 25 minutes at 90°C on speed 1.

Add chocolate to TM bowl and blend for 15 seconds on speed 8.

Remove mixture to a bowl and allow to cool while cleaning TM bowl.

Make sure the bowl is clean and dry. Place Butterfly on blades and place cream into TM bowl. Whip for 30 - 40 seconds on Speed 4, until the cream is holding shape.

Add beetroot and chocolate mixture and whip for 10 -15 seconds on Speed 3 until mixed well.

Serve as is, or cool in fridge before serving.

Thermomix for "Poaching" Eggs

I first saw Tony Tan demonstrate this technique a few years ago, and then saw Dario Barrio, from Dassa Bassa restaurant in Madrid, demonstrate the same idea in his version of an English Breakfast at Alambique cooking school.

























The eggs take on an interesting shape and it makes for a very easy method of "poaching" by wrapping the eggs in plastic wrap before "poaching"



"Poached" Eggs in the Thermomix

6 eggs
dariole moulds or small cups
plastic wrap
oil to grease
rubber bands
500g water

Method:

The plastic wrap is placed inside a dariole mould or cup so that the egg can be broken into it. I find it easier to grease the wrap before placing the eggs into the wrap and the parcels are then tied using a rubber band to seal it without air.

The little packages are then placed into the Thermomix basket.

Place the water into the TM bowl and cook for 6 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Place the basket with egg parcels into the TM bowl and "poach" for 4-6 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Season with S & P and serve immediately with toast soldiers.

Thermomix Steamed Eggs

This is a simple way of "poaching" eggs in the Thermomix. You can simply place the egg poachers that are available commercially, or even a coddler in the Varoma, rather than the silicon paper.

With the new clear Varoma lid it is easy to keep a check on the eggs progress.

Steamed eggs in Varoma

600g water
4 eggs
salt & pepper to taste

Place wet and wrung out baking/silicon paper into the Varoma tray, pour water into TM bowl.



Place the empty Varoma into position and cook for 6 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Place greased egg rings onto the paper in the Varoma tray and then place an egg into each mould in the Varoma, steam for 5-6 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Season with S & P and serve immediately with toast soldiers.

Thermomix Cauliflower Soup in the style of Ducasse

Cauliflowers have been abundant and there have been lots of cauliflower recipes tried at home.

This on is based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse's tome "Grand Livre de Cuisine: Alain Ducasse's Culinary Encyclopedia"

It is a luscious, velvety soup that would also benefit from a touch of truffle.

The benefit of using the Thermomix is that you do not need to strain the mixture to obtain the velvety texture of the finished soup.

No chervil was to hand - so parsley for garnish.

Cauliflower soup in the style of Ducasse

Ingredients:

1000ml water
1 cauliflower
100ml chicken stock
30g crème fraiche or cream
1/4 tsp curry powder
salt as needed

Croutons:
2 slices bread, 5mm
50g butter
Chervil

Method:

Place the water in the TM bowl and heat for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Cut the cauliflower into small florettes. Place the florettes into the TM bowl and cook for 3 minutes at 100°C on Reverse + speed 1. Drain the florettes and cool them in cold water to refresh.

Place the cauliflower florettes, chicken stock, cream and curry powder into the TM bowl and cook for 30 minutes at 90°C on speed 1. Allow to cool to 50°C then blend for 1 minute on Speed 9.

Check for seasoning and adjust as needed.

The soup may be served cool or warmed.

Croutons:

Trim the bread and cut into 5mm cubes. Lightly heat the butter in a frypan and toss the croutons until evenly browned. Drain and pat dry on paper towel.

To serve, place the soup in bowls and sprinkle the croutons and chervil over the surface.